Our Methodology
How We Calculate Health Worth
We combine the best available evidence across five dimensions to reveal the true cost of delaying care. That means looking at not just what treatment costs, but what waiting costs.
Transparent. Evidence-based. Unbiased.
Every assumption is visible. Every source is listed.
From Care Delayed to Total Cost
Every delayed decision flows through the same five cost dimensions before arriving at a single, comparable number.
Care Delayed
Future Medical Costs
Additional treatments, hospitalizations, and care that may be needed later.
Lost Productivity
Workdays lost, reduced performance, and time needed for recovery.
Quality of Life
Impact on daily living and overall well-being, measured in quality-adjusted life years.
Health Outcomes
Increased risk of complications, disability, or premature death.
Total Avoidance Value
The combined financial and life impact of delaying care.
The Result
Total Cost of Delay
The true value of getting care now versus paying more later.
Our Principles
Transparent
Every assumption is visible and explainable.
Evidence-Based
We use published research and trusted public data sources.
Conservative
We avoid inflating costs and use defensible assumptions.
Educational
Estimates help you understand tradeoffs - not predict individual outcomes.
Confidence Framework
Every estimate is assigned a confidence rating based on the strength and availability of evidence.
High
Strong, consistent evidence from multiple high-quality studies.
Moderate
Some evidence available, with variability or smaller sample sizes.
Low
Limited evidence; based on modeled assumptions from the best available data.
Plain Language
We believe everyone should understand how these numbers are calculated.
- No jargon
- No fine print
- Just clear explanations
Want the technical details?
Sources & Evidence →
We pull from best-in-class, peer-reviewed research and public datasets.
FAIR Health
Patient cost benchmarks
CMS Transparency in Coverage
(45 CFR 147.211) shoppable services
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median daily earnings
ICER
Value-per-QALY thresholds ($100k-$150k)
Peer-Reviewed Literature
Condition-specific outcomes research
Utility Studies
QALY decrement research
Federal data cross-checks
These figures come directly from federal datasets and carry a fetch or publication date. They are cached and refreshed on a schedule - never called live on page load - and are kept separate from estimates still pending advisor validation.
Medicare national average payments
Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners - by Geography and Service · CMS Data API · fetched 2026-08-16 · refreshed annually. Used as a cross-check and supplement to our FAIR Health pricing, not a replacement.
- Total knee arthroplasty · HCPCS 27447$1,177.11
- Diagnostic/screening colonoscopy · HCPCS 45378$187.98
- Polysomnography with CPAP titration · HCPCS 95811$241.43
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy · HCPCS 47562$470.55
- Screening mammography, bilateral · HCPCS 77067$65.2
- Open inguinal hernia repair · HCPCS 49505$450.39
Future-cost trend factor
Our future medical cost figures are grown at 5.8% per year over a 10-year window, using the CMS-projected national health expenditure growth rate rather than an internal assumption.
- Projection window
- 2024-2033
- Published
- 2025
- Last verified
- 2026-08-16
- Next annual review
- 2027-08-01
Example: Annual Physical (Preventive Care)
Cost of Care Today
$180
Average out-of-pocket cost
Potential Cost of Delay
- Future medical costs$2,400
- Lost productivity$700
- Quality of life impact$1,100
- Health outcome risk$1,800
Total Estimated Cost of Delay
$6,000
33x more than getting care today
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